This invention relates to a stitched-down shoe in which the upper or the upper material has an outwardly-turned edge which is sewn directly to a base with performed stitch holes with a seam which is at least to some extent perpendicular to the stitch holes, with the stitching running in a seam groove of the shoe base. Such a stitched-down shoe is disclosed, for example, in FIG. 4 of British Pat. No. 1,258,047.
In conventional shoes, the upper in usually connected to an insole by stitching or cementing. The sole is then cemented or sewn to this insole. An example of this state of the art is British Pat. No. 865,066. Use of an insole makes the shoe relatively expensive, and stiff for walking. The connection of the upper to the insole requires, in addition, special machines, so that the production of such shoes can only take place in factories set up for this purpose.
In the shoe according to the above-cited British Pat. No. 1,258,047, the upper is directly sewn to a tread portion. The seam connecting the upper to the tread portion here runs through the tread portion and ends in a seam groove which is provided from the tread surface of the shoe base into the sole. It is a disadvantage of this embodiment that water can very easily rise up into the shoe through the seam groove and the seam, if the seam groove is not closed with a filling material. However, this makes the production of the shoe even more expensive.
British Patent Application No. 2,014,034 also describes a shoe in which the stitching edge is made substantially deeper than the upper edge of the tread portion. The danger of penetration of water into the shoe is greatly reduced in this way. The requirement for upper material is, however, considerably greater for a shoe of this construction than for other shoes, since the upper material must be brought laterally down at the tread portion as far as the stitching edge. Particularly with thick soles, such as are frequently demanded for fashion and because of the soft tread, this increased use of upper material leads to a considerable increase in the costs of production of shoes of the type of construction according to British Pat. No. 2,014,034.
It also has to be considered that the outward-directed stitching edge of the prior art shoe gives a somewhat strange appearance, so that shoes of this constructional type are often not bought, merely because of their appearance.